With emergence of new information services, the amount of data to be exchanged between end users has increased. Various communications technologies and communication networks have been developed, to enable transmission of larger data traffic volumes.
In the modern society, end users will be connected by communication devices, such as UEs (User Equipments), to information servers of service providers. For instance, a user who listens to streamed music or watches streamed TV, e.g. IPTV (Internet Protocol TeleVision) will be connected with a UE to information servers via a RAN (Radio Access Network) and a core network that provide access to Packet Data Networks, such as the Internet.
Network operators and public service providers often offer access to the Internet via WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks). Typical such service providers may be: shopping centers, railway stations, public transportations as trains and buses, hospitals, cafés. Furthermore, such services may also be provided at public locations, where a lot of users are present and communication capacity of telecommunication networks is restricted, e.g. at sport arenas, concerts etc.
With reference to FIG. 1, which is a schematic overview, a situation in a communication network will now be described according to the prior art.
In a telecommunication network, a UE 100 is connected to an RBS (Radio base station) 108 of a RAN (Radio Access Network) 104. The RBS 108 serves the UE 100 with communication capacity, such that the UE 100 will be able to use services as voice or data communication via the RAN 104. When the UE 100 is present in a coverage of a Wi-Fi node 106, e.g. a standalone Wi-Fi access point or a combined Wi-Fi access point and access controller, the UE 100 discovers the Wi-Fi node 106, and may try to connect to the Wi-Fi node 106 to get increased communication capacity, such as higher data rate or, less delays.
However, the communication capacity of installed Wi-Fi access points 106 is in general limited, and there may be a problem to provide enough communication resources to the users of the UEs.
In a plurality of situations, detection of Wi-Fi networks by UEs may give rise to problems. For instance, when the UE has detected and connected to a Wi-Fi network, but the RAN is capable to provide better services to the end user of the UE, the UE will not reconnect to the RAN before it detects that the Wi-Fi communication capacity is too low. Thus, the UE will be prevented from using the better services of the RAN.
Furthermore, when a UE has connected to a Wi-Fi network, and detects that the communication capacity in the Wi-Fi decreases, it will reconnect to the RAN. However, in situations where the communication capacity varies, the UE might then be toggling between the Wi-Fi and the RAN, which consumes power and calculation capacity of the UE.
Moreover, a fast moving UE will try to connect to detected Wi-Fi network which it passes, e.g. when travelling on a train and passing an office building with a Wi-Fi network. However, these Wi-Fi networks may only be able to serve the UE for a short time. Typically, the UE may already be outside the Wi-Fi coverage when being connected. The connecting process will then consume calculation resources for the UE without providing the UE with any increased communication capacity.
Thus, there is a need to make use of installed communication resources more fair and effectively, and also to increase the effort for the users.